Fanes
in Music
Musical
works inspired by the Fanes are even fewer than the figurative
ones. As I'm really very little competent on the subject, I strongly
hope that someone can come to my help and suggest me pieces I'm
unaware of. This is all what I'm able to list for now:
- Emil
Petschnig composed an opera libretto for a “tyrolian
festival opera” titled The Promised
Time, that was staged at Innsbruck in 1928, with musics
by the same Petschnig, but it was unsuccessful and was quickly
dropped and forgotten. The manuscript of the libretto is still
available (copy at the Ladinian Institute at San Martin de Tor);
-
Peter
Bridges has kindly pointed out that in 1937 the Italian musician
Renzo Massarani (1898-1975) composed a ballet
(or better "a mimic action in three acts and two intervals"),
titled Boè, inspired to Wolff's
legends. The ballet was first performed at the Donizetti Theater
at Bergamo and obtained a remarkable success ("Boè",
ballet by R. Massarani, on script and choreography by the composer,
music director Nino Sanzogno, direction and choreography by Teresa
Battaggi, scenes by Sandro Angelini {ballerinas Elide Bonaggiunta
(the princess), Placida Battaggi (her mother) and Lola Bianchi
(Salvan), dancers Gennaro Corbo (shepherd), Tony Corcione (prince/2nd
sorcerer), Ermanno Salvarè (1st sorcerer) and Dino Cavallo
(3rd sorcerer)]. The work fell later into disgrace in accordance
with its composer's mocking and tragic destiny. A convinced fascist,
he initially was highly appreciated both by the regime and by
critics. However.. he was a jew: when racial laws were promulgated,
he was compelled to escape to Brasil, where he repudiated his
own music and died after having fallen into oblivion.
-
Amelia Cuni, a
musicist, singer and dancer who studied in India, performed in
2002 at Malga Costa Val Sella and Riva del Garda
a musical
in nine scenes, titled "Dolasilla's Dream", on original
verses in Ladinian by Stefano Dell'Antonio.
- Also
in 2002, the
Tanzsommers from Innsbruck and the Stiftung Stadttheater by Bolzano
have staged, for the Bolzano-dance Festival, Dolomytica,
a ballet show ispired by several Ladinian legends, including the
Fanes' saga. The original music was composed by Joao de
Bruco and Roderik Vanderstraeten, choreographers
were Jean Christophe Blavier and Chiara Tanesini.
- Recently, in connection with the realization of the movie "Le
Rëgn de Fanes", its co-authoress Susy Rottonara
has composed all original musical pieces, that are also being
separately distributed as a CD. Upon the movie music a prized
international award has recently been conferred at the
Renderyard Film Festival. The ceremony (see photo)
has taken place in London in Oct., 2007. More details in the News.
In April, 2008 the same music was also awarded a first prize in
the United States at the Garden State Film Festival (Asbury
Park, New Jersey). Further details of this award can also be found
in the News.
- By
chance, I stepped into the Kastelruther Spatzen
("Sparrows of Castelrotto"), a german-speaking folk
music group of singers who are well known and appreciated - in
their circle - even outside Südtirol; their site is: http://www.kastelrutherspatzen.de).
Their wide catalog includes a ballad titled "Das Lied
der Fanes" (The Fanes' Song), and another "Hörst
Du die Stimme der Fanes" (Do you hear the Fanes' voice?).
I guess they are freely inspired at the ancient saga (there are
also other titles connected with K.F.
Wolff's works).
- Ms.
Tarabiono brought to my attention the show performed
in Regensburg by a feminine Ladinian trio (from La Valle) named
the Ganes, composed by sisters Elisabeth
and Marlene Schuen and by her cousin Maria
Moling. They sing, in Ladinian, songs inspired by the
local legends, accompanying the text with Pop or Techno music
and Soul sounds. Until now they published two CDs; their site
can be found here.
- "Encresciadùm"
(translate more or less as "nostalgia") is the title
of an album that couples the usage of the Ladinian language and
texts inspired by the Fassa legends with Brazilian and Jazz music,
in a peculiar mix of ancient and modern that "opens up
unexplored territories to the creativity of composer Roberto
Soggetti". It was recorded at the Cat Sound
Studio of Badia Polesine, with the contribution of the best Italian
performers of Jazz music, like Silvia Donati (voice), Pietro Tonolo
(sax), Roberto Rossi (trombone), Paolo Trettel (trumpet), with
Roberto Soggetti himself on piano, Marco Privato on double-bass
and Enrico Tommasini on drums. Fabio Chiocchetti's
name (he authors the text) is a warranty in itself. You can find
a few passages on YouTube here
and here.
The show "Fanes - the musical Poem of the Dolomites", written by Roland Werra with original music by Susy Rottonara, set up in September, 2011 at the Municipal Theater of Bolzano with the Orchestra Filarmonica Italiana, recorded and broadcast by the Ladinian RAI, directed by Alessandro Dapunt, has been awarded the first prize in in the category "music production" at the International Festival “Women and Minorities in Media Festival" organized by the Towson University in Maryland (USA).
For the list of the winners, see wammtu.com, and for details of the show see fanesfiction.com.
The album "Dreaming of Fanes" - original music, soprano: Susy Rottonara, completely sung in Ladinian, has been included into the category "Best albun of the year" at the 53th Grammy Awards. See details on the site:
www.susyrottonara.com.
- In february, 2013 the Mart, Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art of Trento and Rovereto, helped by the Autonomous Province of Bolzano and cooperated by the Associazione culturale Fanes, proposed an encounter with Ladinian contemporary art and with the thousand-year old traditions of the Dolomites. The music and voice of soprano Susy Rottonara, the narration by Roland Verra and the paintings and sculptures by Rott (Lois Rottonara) introduced the audience into the magic and charming world of the Ladinian legends.
- The musical poem Fanes, see above, has been selected among the ten winners of the contest for ideas and projects for the candidacy of Bolzano with Venice and the Italian Northeast to European Cultural Capital for year 2019 (see photo on the site of the Associazione Fanes).
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